2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

This work-in-progress paper examines how pedagogical design choices in senior design courses may shape student learning experiences within an Industrial and Systems Engineering program at a large public university. Two senior design models are considered: a traditional, required capstone course that emphasizes broad exposure to industry-sponsored projects across multiple domains, and a selective, healthcare-focused project pathway designed around sustained engagement with clinical partners and intensive faculty mentorship. Students completing the healthcare-focused pathway satisfy the department’s senior design requirement in lieu of the traditional capstone.
The study focuses on differences in project structure, scaffolding, client engagement, and mentorship as potential learning mechanisms influencing students’ development of systems thinking, professional communication, and comfort with ambiguity. A mixed-methods research design is being implemented across the two models, combining pre- and post-course self-efficacy surveys with qualitative analysis of student artifacts and faculty mentoring interactions. ISE520 and ISE521 are treated analytically as a single healthcare-focused senior design pathway spanning two semesters.
Rather than reporting empirical findings, this paper articulates hypothesized learning mechanisms grounded in prior engineering education literature and intentional course design. These hypotheses motivate ongoing data collection and analysis and inform program-level decisions related to the expansion of health systems engineering pathways within ISE curricula.